SINGAPORE, 27 May 2027: Connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region, which has faced significant challenges, is rebounding swiftly during the first quarter of 2024, ForwardKeys’ Director of Intelligence & Marketing, Olivier Ponti, reports in the research company’s latest Asia Pacific Travel Trends analysis.
Chinese outbound travel during the recent Labour Day holiday indicates a 16% decrease compared to the levels recorded in 2019, but that is likely to be replaced by a positive trend by year-end, fuelled by the relaxation of visa policies, which has notably enhanced Chinese travel to numerous destinations.
“Data revealed a 212% surge in travel from China to Kazakhstan, with notable increases to Singapore, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and the Maldives. However, Thailand’s slower recovery is attributed to ongoing safety concerns,” Ponti noted in the Q1 review.
As of the first quarter of 2024, the region’s seat capacity recovery is just 13% shy of 2019 levels. Notably, the Asia-Pacific outpaced global seat capacity growth, registering a seven-percentage point increase compared to the global average of three percentage points between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.
As seat capacity gradually rebounds, fares have shown a consistent downward trend since 2023 despite remaining higher than 2019 levels due to limited capacity and strong demand. This trend was particularly evident during significant events such as Chinese New Year and major concerts in Singapore.
For example, Taylor Swift’s concert in Singapore in early March led to a 17% increase in travel from Southeast Asia, contrasting with a 27% decline in the rest of the month.
